St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-07

Experience taught that the old rate wars
would begin again. and the end of it would be,
as 1t always has been, consolidation. The mo-
nopolieS OF this country had been built on
the graves OF weak competitors. The bill in
vited grand monopoly of railroad capital in
this country, which would be built on the
graves of the railroads that are now able to
stand the competition. The railroad mo-
nopoly would be the master of the people
He believed 1t better to have business kept in
great many hands than to have it CONSOLE
dated. He believed it better to let the little
country stores live than to build up great
mercantile establishments at their expense
He believed it better to let the
weak railroads live than tc build
one magnificent railroad corporation that
would occupy to the railroad business of the
country the same position as the Western
Union Telegraph company bears to the TEL
graph business of the country. Specimens
or that kind of consolidation of railroad COM
panies were to-day the Pennsylvania Railroad
company, with u system of oyer 1000 miles
under che management, and the Wabash sys-
TEN with It's gigantic system of $500 miles
He characterized the two clauSes las to the
long and short hauls' and to prohibit pool
ing, most glariug inconsistency which re-
called the couplet: you're damned if you
90 and you re damned if you DON'T He
argued that the effect of the bill would be to
place the American railroads $50 far as the
business from the West to the Atlantic sea-
board is concerned) at the mercy Of the
Grand Trunk railway of Canada. AS to the
Intimation that it would be necessary to
adopt conference report in order TO have
any legislation on the subject at this session.
he did not think 1t was we'll founded.
MR.. MORGAN OPPOSED THE BILL.
Alabama, he said, was at the farther south
ern margin of the United States. The mar
kels in which her people bought their dry
goods and large part of their groceries were
at the far northeast, and there was broad
intervening area between them. The markets
in which they bought their food supply
Chicago, St. Louis and Cincinnati-were also
far distant from Alabama. The markets in
which they sold their products were all dis
tant. They had vast tract of country 10
cross in getting either to the market of pur-
chase or the market OF sale, so that he thought
that any bill which forced the railroad COM
panies to raise their charges on freights for
long hauls would be necessarily in mical
10 the best Interests of his state.
he argued that the states were perfect
competent TO deal with this subject, and that
the Interference of the federal government
would lead 10 still further invasionS, until the
management Of railroads would eventual lily
become the most absorbing business oe CON
greSs. The bill was based solely on promise.
ii opened the door to the interference of con-
gleSS with every regulation OF trade and com-
merce. 1t expose tue charter of every rail-
road company (given by states) to modifca-
tons through acts of congress. The principle
OF this bill would end in maxi u merchau-
disc OF politics while it ruled and ruined
business. As he read this bill (the nterpreta-
ton of which was SO uncertain that every one
had to interpret it for himself, lit necessitated
the increase of rates in long haus in all
cases, and the sacrifice OF large part of the
income OF the railroads. He was convinced
that the railroads to the coal and iron fields
Of Alabama could not do that, and
THE BURDEN
would fall very heavily on those new indus
tries of Alabama and would probably destroy
them Mr.. Cullom said he was very anxious
to have the bill disposed of as soon as pos
sible. consistent with fair discussion, and
be therefore gave notice that on Tuesday or
Wednesday next he would ask the senate to
remain in session until the subject was dis
posed of. Mr.. Hoar demonstrated against
cutting Off debate on Il bill that would operate
so seriously upon modern commerce and
would so greatly affect the interests of the
city and state which he represented. Mr.. Gull
lom said that the senator had had plenty of
time TO prepare for the discussion. Besides
the bill as reported was not very different
from that which passed the senate year ago
In his Judgment the bill, il passed, would not
Interfere with commerce at all or with the
interests of Boston or massachusetts. ter
an executive session the senate adjourned.